Ocean city MD inlet condition

[phorvati]

Can someone shed some insight into this inlet conditions? I might be going in there Sunday morning to wait for strong SW to pass.
Is there a place to anchor for a 50' sailboat that draws 6.5'?

[mrybas]

Originally Posted by phorvati

Can someone shed some insight into this inlet conditions? I might be going in there Sunday morning to wait for strong SW to pass.
Is there a place to anchor for a 50' sailboat that draws 6.5'?

I was in there a couple weeks ago on a 47’ cat that draws 3’. Follow the marked channel and you should be fine. I don’t recall the minimum depth I saw but it wasn’t anything concerning.
I anchored off of asateague Island. If you hang a left at the end of the jetty, there is room to anchor off Asateague beach. Be careful in this area, as there was a big sandbar in the middle.

[thomm225]

OpenCPN shows 7' at mean low tide near red mark 8 so stay to the left.

I've never been in there but have watched the boats come in as a child and there always seemed to be a lot of current......this based on a 10 year old's knowledge of other inlets.....

I grew up 25 - 30 miles south of there and our inlets were so shallow we picked a good wave to ride in on with a junker 14' - 16' power boats and preyed the engine wouldn't quit half way thru.....but it's a lot easier at those ages with a $300 boat

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by phorvati

Can someone shed some insight into this inlet conditions? I might be going in there Sunday morning to wait for strong SW to pass.
Is there a place to anchor for a 50' sailboat that draws 6.5'?

I was there this summer in a cat and we had lots of water under our keel, should be no problem for your 6.5' draft. Coming into the inlet itself is a complete non-event, just follow the buoys rather than using your GPS, as you should do with all the Delmarva inlets. As others said there is a channel to the left you can anchor off of. Current is pretty strong, but bottom is thick mud with really good holding on my fortress. You probably want to stay very close to Assateague Island once you make the left. The physical "center" of the channel between the island and the mainland is, as someone else mentioned, very shallow. We anchored on the west side of the shallow area, but it would probably be too shallow over there for your draft.

[svsonora]

Just avoid counter winds to current and you'll be fine, even if it gets a bit bumpy. be good with anchoring -- mine came up with te line wrapped around after 1 day. Good thing I had a heavy oversized anchor.

[boat driver]

If in doubt go cape Charles inside Chesapeake bay entrance or up to cape Henlopen inside harbor of refuge. Plenty water well protected and access shoreside both places.

[phorvati]

Originally Posted by boat driver

If in doubt go cape Charles inside Chesapeake bay entrance or up to cape Henlopen inside harbor of refuge. Plenty water well protected and access shoreside both places.

Supposed to be NW 30-35

[Mlp48]

On the south side of the O.C. inlet, watch for a submerged jetty and on the chart, the symbol is this: ====. There isn't a lot of room in there to anchor but the roomier choice is to go south. Oh.. the current does move inside there ! If mine to do, I might instead consider the harbor of refuge off Lewes and inside Cape Henlopen unless you just have to get to into O.C. The only downside to stopping at Henlopen is that you'll have to go into Delaware Bay a short way -- and that can be nasty and confused and youll have to harden up. But it is well, well marked for big traffic.

[zstine]

Was there twice, most recently a little over a year ago. I draw 7.5 and found room to anchor just outside the ICW channel. Plenty of depth in the inlet itself where the breakwater is, but the waves and current can be pretty boisterous. Your should be fine in a 50ft boat. The marks are a little confusing and it does get a bit skinny heading south to the anchorage. Keep the Red and Green combo mark to starboard when entering and head straight at the next green from it, then turn south to split the red & green pair marking the channel entrance at the tip of Assateague Is. Continue a few hundered yards/quarter mile and tuck in as close to the Island beach as depth allows. I was asked to move once as I was too close to the channel and I tried to anchor on the west side, but ran aground. I found space just northeast of green mark "3".

Great area in the summer. not sure what is open now. There's a fuel dock at the end of the commercial fish harbor channel, which is also lined with restaurants. The food Lion supermarket is a mile walk, gets pretty long when carrying groceries! We also left our dink at MR.Duck's if you want access to the 'carnival' side of things on the barrier Is.


This is a video we made of our 1st time going into OC..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o85wOmkJkAY

[Peter1949]

Nice video diablo
The girls are enjoying the journey😎

[Elie]

Originally Posted by boat driver

If in doubt go cape Charles inside Chesapeake bay entrance or up to cape Henlopen inside harbor of refuge. Plenty water well protected and access shoreside both places.

I would also recommand Henlopen Harbor. Not only safe and well protected, but has a Coast Gard station, in case of need, but mostly calm and beautifull ...

[BostonSailer]

We were there last week. Our draft is six feet. The inlet is fine; there is a substantial current and if coming from the south, head in via the red buoy that's about a mile from the inlet. There are pretty shallow breakers closer in on the south side of the channel. Once in, stick close to the north side, following the nuns. The anchorage to the south is about 9 feet. Enter and exit at high tide, there's a shallow spot in the channel to the anchorage that is exactly six feet deep at mid tide. Ask me how I know. Lots of boat traffic on nice weekends, even a floating tiki bar with loud music. Weekdays much quieter.